The Gang’s All Meer for 2020!

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Happy New Year! January First is the original fresh start, new leaf turned over, time to renew…you’ve heard them all. It’s also 2 days before Sale-a-bration 2020, and I think it’s safe to say that The Gang’s All Meer will be a huge favorite.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up The Gang's All Mere SAB 2020
Maui Stamper Stampin Up The Gang's All Meer SAB 2020

I used our Watercolor Pencils to color the image and softened the lines with the Blender Pen. I took the liberty of adding hair-bows to a couple of the ‘cats and even added a little color on lips and eyes.

I was able to add those fine details because I found a LIFE CHANGING pencil sharpener. Really. This tool has a little dial on the front, and you can have it make your pencil super-dee-duper sharp or wider and softer for coloring. Life changing, I tell you!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up The Gang's All Meer SAB 2020

It comes in turquoise or pink or black (ho hum) and you can even get a two-pack. I got mine on Amazon.

Maui Stamper 2020 DIY Calendar

The 2020 DIY Calendar PDF is still available and it’s just $5. Please click Contact the Maui Stamper above and message me your email (we’re all a lot less likely to be spammed if I do it this way).

Crystal and Cheryl are sharing their calendars again this year – stop by to see how they’re kicking off 2020.

And of course, if you need supplies, check out the Online Store. The Holiday Catalog will be finished, kaput, complete at close of business Mountain TIme on January 2nd.

The (DIY CALENDAR) Year in Review

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Tomorrow – NEWS FLASH – is January 1st and there will be a new DIY Calendar to begin the year. As I planned that project, I took some time to reflect on 2019 and I thought you might enjoy seeing all 12 months. Click on the month and it will take you to the page with all the details.

JANUARY

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Bloom By Bloom 2019 DIY Easel Calendar January

FEBRUARY

Maui Stamper DIY Easel February 2019 Hello Love

MARCH

MauiStamper Stampin' Up! All That You Are March 2019 DIY

APRIL

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! DIY Easel Calendar April 2019 Vibrant Vases

MAY

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! May 2019 DIY Easel Calendar Best Birds

JUNE

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! June 2019 DIY Calendar Free as a Bird

JULY

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Calendar July 2019

AUGUST

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar Lilypad Lake July 2019

SEPTEMBER

Maui Stamper Stampin Up This Little Piggy DIY Easel Calendar 2020

OCTOBER

Maui Stamper Stampin Up October 2019 DIY Easel Calendar Spooktacular Bash

NOVEMBER

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel November 2019 Soft Spring

DECEMBER

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar December 2019 #Elfie

Kind of fun to look back, isn’t it? I have such a great time with these little pages, precisely because they’re small. I couldn’t pick a favorite if I tried, but it’s clear I like birds and flowers!

You can make your own DIY Calendar for 2020! The PDF is just $5 and if you click on Contact the Maui Stamper above and send me your email, we’ll get you set up in a jiffy.

Be safe tonight! I’ll be back tomorrow with – you guessed it – the first 2020 DIY Easel Calendar!

One Last #Elfie

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I may have finally crossed the line into Crafty Craziness. I was inspired by a card in a private demonstrator group, which was fine, but then I decided to make multiples. You’ll see:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up #Elfie Hand Cut
Maui Stamper Stampin Up #Elfie Hand Cut

There’s a LOT of coloring and an absolutely RIDICULOUS amount of fussy cutting in this card. I don’t think I would make this many again (I made more than 10, less than 20).

Maui Stamper Stampin Up #Elfie Hand Cut

But it sure is cute! I’m smitten with these elves, and I know their time is almost up. Stampin’ Up! has had versions of elves for the last 3 or 4 holiday catalogs, and they never carry over so I’m not expecting to see #Elfie after Thursday.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up #Elfie Hand Cut

That said, if you want an #Elfie of your own, you’d better skedaddle on over to the Online Store and order one ASAP. You’ve got until close of business Mountain Time on January 2, 2020.

Tags are the new cookies

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Hear me out now, before you start shouting at me! I love cookies as much as the next girl but this time of year they seem to be lurking around every corner, and it gets dangerous. One of my host clubs exchanged tags every year instead, and it’s such fun!

  • Stamps: #Elfie
  • Color Palette, Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red, Shaded Spruce, Daffodil Delight, soft Suede, Ivory Seaside Spray, Rococco Rose
  • Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Snowfall Puff Paint, Heat Tool, Wink of Stella

The puff paint is amazing! It’s a quick way to add some fun texture. Be sure to let it puff up all the way, and then I find it’s more durable if you let it sit for half an hour or so before touching or stacking it. I make it the last step and then set the tags aside to “cure”. Watch this video for more: https://s.tamp.in/yo-AGL

A dozen of these went together really quickly – but you need to enjoy coloring. I didn’t do any shadowing because it’s such a small image.

To create a little blush in #Elfie’s cheeks, I dabbed a dot of Rococco Rose Blends and then blurred it with the color lifter. Do this BEFORE you add the skin tone (I used ivory) or you’ll see a funny circle.

Make a tag, swap a tag! There’s still time!

Clearance Rack Update!

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The Rack is updated and there are lots of great deals – heaps of embossing folders and ribbons!

Stampin Up Clearance Rack December 2019

This is just a sample – shop the Clearance Rack now!

December 2019 DIY

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I’m smitten with #Elfie! He’s just the guy I want hangin’ out on my craft desk this month!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar December 2019 #Elfie
Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar December 2019 #Elfie

I went a little over-the-top with the Snowfall Accents Puff Paint. Well, actually, I went over-the-top with the Paper Snips, too. In the stamped image, #Elfie is leaning against the bottom of the signpost, but that makes the image too tall for a little calendar! I REALLY wanted to use this image, so out came the snips and I disassembled the whole business.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar December 2019 #Elfie

When I figured out how to settle him into a snowbank with the post popping out I was pretty pleased with myself. But…it looked a little empty. Maybe it was just lop-sided, but it needed something. That’s when I dug into my retired stash for the set from last year. It’s just the packages, and I could have probably hand-drawn them…HA. Imagine how successful that would have been!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar December 2019 #Elfie

This turned out just the way I imagined it, which is quite a feat. If you’re imagining your own set of DIY Easel Calendars for 2020, there’s still time to purchase the PDF! It’s just $5 and you can print your own set of months to play with all year long. Click Contact the Maui Stamper above and give me your email, and I’ll send you an invoice.

Be sure and stop by to see what Cheryl and Crystal have crafted for your inspiration this month! Happy December!

A little punkin banner

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I don’t do a lot of fall decorating since fall in Hawaii doesn’t match up well with traditional decor, but I couldn’t resist this little pumpkin banner from the Dollar Spot at Target.

I know. It looks a little funny with that orchid there. I think that just serves to emphasize my point!

These little wooden pumpkins are perfect for embellishing with paper flowers. I pulled out a variety of retired and even not-Stampin’-Up! dies to do the job.

This is a Sizzix did but it wasn’t in our catalog. It’s actually kind of oversized for this project, but shoot, go big or go home, right? I did use the flower from the Magnolia die and was very happy with that result.

Sometimes it’s just fun to work outside the box, and that’s what I did with this project. I hope you enjoy!

Gratitude 2019

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My thoughts are increasingly focused on being grateful, and this time of year the focus intensifies. It’s not just the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, but the approaching holiday season that causes me to dive into thankfulness. My November 2019 calendar is born out of this focus and will maintain it as well:

  • Stamps: Soft Spring (HOST)
  • Color Palette: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Pineapple Punch, Grapefruit Grover, Terracotta Tile, Cajun Craze

I like to play with words, and using the Soft Spring Host set for an Autumn themed calendar page makes me smile. First of all, I think it works quite well! It doesn’t represent any particular flower (at least not one I know) but it represents the feeling of Fall because of the colors I chose. Secondly, it’s Spring now in the Southern Hemisphere, and since my daughter lives there I’m more aware of that juxtaposition.

My technique was super simple. I inked the outline image in Crumb Cake and stamped it on the calendar. I inked the floral fill image completely in Pineapple Punch, then about 75% in Grapefruit Grove, about 50% in Terracotta Tile, and finally added Cajun Craze to the top 25%. I didn’t wipe off previous colors – they’re all piled on top of each other!

Maui Stamper 2020 DIY Calendar

If you’d like to make your own 2020 DIY Easel calendar, I’m selling the PDF for $5. Just click on Contact the Maui Stamper above and message me your email address. I’ll get an invoice out to you, and as soon as it’s paid, I’ll email the file including the cover page and a set of cutting instructions. You’ll be on your way!

I also have a Pinterest Board with literally years of these pages for your inspirational enjoyment. Crystal and Cheryl have created their own version of the November 2019 calendar, so be sure to visit them too.

Host stamp sets are a bit of an under-appreciated category in the catalog. They’re a great value, because they’re priced below market. The catch is that you have to use Host Rewards to purchase them, but those begin to accrue when your order or workshop reaches $150. You can start shopping the Online Store, or contact me about hosting an event of your own, either in person or online. Crafting is a lot more fun with a friend!

A Japanese New Years Wish

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I’ve learned a lot about different cultures living on Maui. Our community is diverse for many reasons, but primarily because the sugar plantations brought in workers from many countries beginning in the mid-1800’s. While sugar is no longer grown commercially here, the many families who arrived to work in the fields have taken root and enriched our communities with their traditions.

The first Japanese workers arrived in the mid-1880’s. Their legacy is found in everyday life on Maui, including food, language, art, celebrations, and so much more. When Stampin’ Up! offered the New Years Celebration set to the U.S. market, I was excited to have the opportunity to craft with these images.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up New Year Celebration
Maui Stamper Stampin Up New Year Celebration

The characters for Happy New Year are embossed in gold and are written in Kanji, one of three writing systems. The colors are also very symbolic, as red and white are used to represent happiness and joy, and gold represents wealth and prestige. Bamboo represents wealth and prestige, and the chrysanthemum flower signifies longevity and rejuvenation. There’s a big message in this simple card!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up New Year Celebration

This set is not in any catalog, and it will only be available to the U.S. market through January 31, 2020. You can see samples and an interpretation of the images HERE, and of course, you can shop at the Online Store. These images are so Kawaii!

Happy New Year from Mt. Fuji

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Nah, I’m not on the road again – we just got home!

But I’m imagining myself in Japan, riding the Shinkansen and gazing out the windows at Mt. Fuji. We made that trip in 2012 (oh, can it be that long ago??) and the UNESCO World Heritage site was unfortunately hidden in the clouds. However, today the clouds are high in the sky and Fuji-san is clearly visible:

Without getting too personal here, let’s just say that my eyesight isn’t quite what it used to be (ahem). I was having a little trouble aligning the images, despite the fact that they’re photopolymer and theoretically I should have no problem.

(Distraction: theories aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.)

After a couple of unsatisfactory attempts at aligning the outline of the mountain, the interior, and the glorious rising moon, it occurred to me that the solution was within an arm’s reach. I got out my Stamparatus and the problem was solved nearly instantaneously.

This stamp set was originally designed for the Stampin’ Up! Japanese market, but was released to the US market just until January 31, 2020. It’s product #146391 and it’s $25. If you’d like to see a graphic that documents all of the images and their significance, click HERE.

Are you ready to ride the Shinkansen? Or just take a paper-and-ink trip?